


Flight Of Fancy On A Windswept Field

by gaialux



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Crack Treated Seriously, First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-29
Updated: 2014-12-29
Packaged: 2018-03-03 15:12:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2855354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaialux/pseuds/gaialux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Daryl has wings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flight Of Fancy On A Windswept Field

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fionhen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fionhen/gifts).



> Because wingfic!Daryl is an obvious choice.

Daryl's been wincing with every step for the past few days.

Rick tries to ignore it at first, because he's never sure how Daryl will react. And -- selfishly -- he also knows the group still needs him in action to hunt for food and watch for walkers. But Rick feels like a complete jerk when, a couple of days later, he finds Daryl sitting with his head in his hands and his cross-bow lying haphazardly on the ground nearby.

"Daryl," he says.

Daryl jumps at the sound and whips his head around. Rick thinks he can see the faintest ring of red under his eyes, but he blinks and it fades.

"What're you doing here?" Daryl asks. He sounds mad, but it also waivers enough for Rick to think it may just be an act.

"You weren't back to eat," Rick says. He takes a few steps closer and Daryl doesn't move. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Daryl says. The bite is definitely back in his voice now.

Rick stalls where he stands and thinks about going back, but he hears Daryl bite back a gasp.

"You're not," Rick says and clears the space between them. He kneels down and touches Daryl's shoulder.

Daryl jolts back like a wounded animal and glares at Rick. "Fuck off."

He doesn't. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing," Daryl says through gritted teeth.

"You can't expect me to believe that."

Daryl gives him a deathly look before turning away again. Rick doesn't move.

"We've got the first aid kit--"

"No," Daryl says. It's in a normal tone again, the  _no_ a statement rather than a warning.

"Why?"

The sound that comes from Daryl is half-growl, half-sigh. His hands come up to his shirt and he pulls buttons free. Slowly. Rick watching him and not saying anything until Daryl gets his shirt free and throws it from his shoulder.

Rick just manages to hold back a gasp.

From Daryl's back are the unmistakable protrusion of  _wings_ \-- or, rather, a single wing coming from his right side. Bright white feathers stretching upward as Daryl shifts where he's sitting. Rick reaches out tentatively and softly touches. Daryl lets him.

"My dad got rid of the other one," Daryl says.

Rick doesn't ask how. He runs his hand along the remaining wing, ruffling the light white feathers along the top. He hears Daryl give a real sigh and more weight is rested against Rick. Rick trails his fingers along all he can reach.

"Feel alright?" Rick asks softly.

"Yeah," Daryl says. His voice sounds a far away, floating somewhere. "Fine."

He doesn't ask why he has them, how they get there, what their purpose is.

"I can keep them down," Daryl says. "Bandages, whatever -- but it hurts after a while."

 _And he hadn't been using bandages._ That bit was left unsaid. Rick knew why; that they couldn't waste what little medical supplies they had. But this...this seems to count as something medicinally needed.

So he says, "We have enough."

Daryl shakes his head. "No. Uh, it's fine."

"It's not..." he trails off. Daryl's stopped looking at him, his gaze off somewhere in the distance.

Rick's hand is still absentmindedly brushing that one wing, it soft and cool against his palm and fingers. He doesn't know exactly why he does what he does next. Only that it seems like the right time for something he's bitten back and down for a long while.

With his free hand, Rick turns Daryl's face toward his, and slowly trails his gaze from Daryl's eyes to his lips. He doesn't say anything and Rick doesn't ask. He just leans forward and, when Daryl doesn't pull back, touches their mouths together.

"Okay?" he asks.

"Okay." The tip of Daryl's wing touches against Rick's back and draws him closer.


End file.
